Craving for Junk Science: an Anti-Vaxxer Addiction?

“God is an antivaxxer, and he needs you to speak up.”

Del Bigtree, television and film producer, CEO of Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine group

“To believe in utter nonsense is the prerogative of humans.”

Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist, Nobel laureate

I am astounded by the growing number of anti-vaxx Americans who have drunk the Kool-Aid and developed an insatiable desire for “junk science.” It recently occurred to me that their problem is akin to that of patients with substance abuse disorders. Both groups are hooked, that is, they have overpowering cravings.

Those addicted to various psychoactive agents just can’t get enough of the substance they’re hooked on be it opiates, cocaine, alcohol, etc. In some cases, this can lead to the addict’s demise. Those hooked on junk science have an overpowering desire (craving) to believe things that are patently false. These “addicts” can also be carried to their graves by irrational thoughts influenced by the junk science concerning vaccines that abounds today. And perhaps more importantly, these “addicts” are putting their children at risk of acquiring (and even dying from) childhood diseases that can be prevented by safe and effective vaccines.

In this week’s Germ Gems post, I provide a brief review of what distinguishes true science from junk science and end by posing the question of whether anti-vaxx Americans can ever be cured of their junk science habit.

What is science? Science is the systematic study of the natural world through observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, replication, and peer review.  It is both a body of knowledge (facts, theories, and laws) and a method for discovering new knowledge.

In the 17^th-century during the Scientific Revolution (1543-1687), English philosopher Francis Bacon codified the scientific method, emphasizing that results must be replicated. (Bacon has also been called the father of empiricism.) The key features of the scientific method include:

1. Observation: gathering data through senses or instruments;

2. Hypotheses: forming a testable explanation;

3. Experimentation: conducting controlled tests to confirm or refute the hypothesis;

4. Replication: Ensuring the results are consistent and reproducible; and

5. Peer review: Sharing the findings for evaluation by other experts.

Whether one is involved in clinical or basic science research, the same “4 Rs of Research” apply. This means that the findings must be:  Rigorous (in complete accordance with the facts); Reproducible (repeated, duplicated by others); Robust (strong); and, if you’re really lucky, Remarkable (exceptional, unexpected—that is, a discovery).

An attitude of uncertainty is vital to the scientist as is skepticism, that is, the practice of evaluating claims based on evidence. Scientific skepticism is rooted in humility; a key principle is that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

What is junk science? “Anti-science,” is the explicit rejection of the scientific method and of science as a valid way of knowing. In contrast, “junk science” is flawed or fraudulent science that is used to promote a particular agenda or product and, not uncommonly, for financial gain. It pretends to be science and may even use scientific jargon but it does not follow the rigorous standards of the scientific method and ignores the “4 Rs of Research.”

Junk science lacks solid foundation built upon evidence. It oversimplifies complex scientific issues and it’s purposefully misleading. It has emotional or political appeal, using fear or moral arguments instead of verifiable evidence. Examples of junk science include many claims about quick-fix diets, the benefits of natural products, as well as false claims for medications— ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19, and against vaccines—measles vaccine as a cause of autism.

One of the most common errors of junk science is the acceptance of correlation (association) as causation. Correlation is simply a relationship where action A relates to action B but one doesn’t necessarily cause the other event to happen. Causation, on the other hand, means that action A causes outcome B. As evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould said, “The invalid assumption that correlation implies cause is probably among the two or three most serious common errors of human reasoning.”  

Can the craving for junk science be cured? According to a recent article in the Washington Post,” Del Bigtree, a top RFK Jr. ally and head of the anti-vaccine group Informed Consent Action Group (ICAG), rallied the 1,000 elated attendees at the ICAG’s annual convention in Austin with the claim that God, whom we are traditionally taught to trust, is an anti-vaxxer. (Weber, L., “’God is an anti-vaxxer:’ Inside the conference celebrating RFK Jr.’s rise,” Washington Post, November 10, 2025). I mention this ridiculous notion mainly to alert Germ Gems readers to the severity of the delusional thinking of anti-vaxxers and to return to the query in the introduction to this post: “Is the craving for junk science a form of addiction of anti-vaxxers?”

The hallmarks of substance abuse are an uncontrollable craving for the drug to which they’ve become dependent upon, a need for increasing amounts of the drug to assuage the craving, and a withdrawal from social activities. I’m not a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist and therefore not equipped to test the hypothesis that craving for junk science is one of the drivers of the anti-vaxx movement.

I am, however, an infectious diseases clinical researcher who thinks development of vaccines is the biggest accomplishment of modern medicine. Plus, I know that vaccines have been tested and retested for both their safety and efficacy. I also know that vaccines have saved millions of lives. A 2024 study published in The Lancet estimated that vaccines have saved 154 million lives globally since 1974, comparable to a rate of six lives very minute. Of those saved, 95% were children younger than 5 years old.” (Woolf, S., Rosenthal, J., “Childhood Vaccination Has Saved Millions of Lives, but Rising Hesitancy Could Reverse Decades of Progress, Center for American Progress, January 8, 2025). And I also know that this could all be reversed by the anti-vaxxers and vaccine skepticism that abounds in America today.

But maybe we’re not as bad off as I believe. The late Lewis Thomas, an American physician, poet, essayist, and researcher, was one of my medical heroes. He believed that science is a process of discovery, and that the “greatest achievements” of the 20^th century were not solutions, but rather “the first glimpse of the profundity of human ignorance” and the ability to ask better questions. Dr. Thomas considered this the “starting point” for science.

When it comes to understanding anti-vaxxers’ obsession with junk science, I’d say we’re pretty close to a state of profound ignorance.  And if this is the starting point, it appears we have a long way to go.